Ice-creeper.



PATENTBD SEPT'. 15, 1903.

J. H. WAGNER, G. J. HOFSTETTER & H. 'OSTENDORR ICE CREBPER. APPLIGATIO P Iumnx. '1, 190s.

N0 MODEL.

l nwwtozs www UNITED STATES.

Patented September 15, 1903l PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HENRY WAGNER, CLEMENTS J. HOFSTETTER, AND HENRY OSTENDORF, OF FORT JENNINGS, OHIO.

` ICE-CREEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,103, dated September 15, 1.903.

Application filed March 7, 1903. Serial No. 146,791. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN HENRY VAG- NER, CLEMENTs J. I-lorsTETTER, and HENRY OsrnNDoRE, citizens of the United States', residing at Fort Jennings, in the county of Putnam, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Creepers; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in* vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to ice-Creepers; and it has for its object to provide a construction which may be readily attached to and detached from the shoe ofthe wearer and which will have suoli construction as will-insure rigidity and prevent dislocation of the parts, a further object of the invention being to nprovide an article which may be manufactured at a low cost.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an ice-Creeper embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan vview showing on a reduced scale the plate or blank from which the body portion of the creeper is formed. Fig. 3 is a section taken transversely through the front cross-bar and illustratingthe arrangement of the spikes.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Fig. 2 thereof, the present creeper includes a main or body portion consisting of a plate 5having the three lingers 6, 7, and 8 extending from one end thereof, the fingers 6 and 8 being curvinglv divergent, while the finger 7 is straight and lies midway therebetween. From the rear of the point of connection of the three lingers 6, 7, and 8 there extends what may be termed a narrowed\stem portion 9,. The body portion of the plate 5, from which the fingers and stem extend, is designed to lie in the hollow of the foot with its fingers extending forwardly and terminating at the ball of the foot. Thestem or portion 9 of the plate is bent downwardly, as shown at 10, at a point slightly in the rear of the body of the plate to lie against the front face of the heel and is then extended rearwardly to rest against the bottom of the heel and then upwardly at the back of the heel, as shown at 12. At the upper end of the portion 12 the narrowed stem of the plate is bent downwardly upon itselfto form a loop 13 and then is continued forwardly to follow and lie against the part 10, the body of the plate, and the linger 7, and terminates flush with the free end of the latter, to which it may be soldered or otherwise connected. Between the portions of the plate directly beneath the heel of the shoe is received a transverse plate 111 of the spring metal, which extends from side to side of the heel, the end portions of 6 this spring-metal plate being bentupwardly l to receive the heel of the shoe therebetween, the extremities of these upwardly-extending portions being curved outwardly, so that the heel may be readily pressed between the upwardly-extendingportions orfingers and force them apart to place them under tension.

Through the transverse plate 14 and the members lying above and below it are formed alining perforations 15, through Which is passed downwardly a spike 16, having ahead 17 at its upper end, which prevents passage of the spikes through the plates, the lower portion or body of the spike being threaded and having a clamping-nut 18 engaged therewith, this clamping-nut serving to clamp the several members between it and the head of sition.

The forward'ends of the lingers 6, 7 and 8 are disposed upon a transverse plate 19, the free end of the stem portion or member 9 of the plate 5v resting against the under face of this transverseplate,and through it(the transverse plate) and the middle linger 7 is passed a rivet 20. The free end portions of the fingers 6 and 8 and the transverse plate 19 have alining perforations therethrough, in which are engaged downwardly the headed spikes 22 and 23, said spikes beingthreaded to receive clamping-nuts 24 and 25, which serve to hold the fingers to the transverse plate, as well as to hold the spikes in place. The ends of the transverse plate 19 are bent'upwardly to receive the sole of a shoe therebetween, and the roo extremities thereof are formed into loops 2G, with which are engaged the rings 27, the rings being free to swing in the loops.

When the creeper is to be worn, the shoe is placed with the heel between the fingers of the plate 14 and the sole between the fingers of the plate 19, and a strap 28 is engaged through the loop 13, the endsof the strap being crossed over the instep and the strap being engaged through the rings of the fronttransverse plate, said strap having a buckle 29, by means of which the ends of the strap lnay be secured in their attaching positions.

It will be seen that in the present instance a rigid structure is produced which will hold the spikes at all times in operative positions, that the article may be manufactured at a low price, and may be readily applied and removed.

What is claimed is-` 1. An ice-Creepercomprisin g aplate having forwardly-divergent fingers at one end and a stem at its opposite end, said stem being bent downwardly and then rearwardly and then upward ly to receive the heel of a shoe and then return beneath itself and beneath the body portion of the plate and a forward linger, a transverse plate received between said finger and the underlying portion of the stem and upon which the extremities of the remaining lingers are received, spikes engaged through the transverse plate and said remaining iingers, rings connected to the ends of the transverse plate, a transverse plate disposed between the members of the stem at the bottom of the heel-receivin g portion and having its ends bent upwardly, a spike engaged through the second transverse plate and theportions of the stem between which it is received, and securing means engaged with the rings and the rear portion of the heel-receiving portion.

2. An ice-creeper comprising a plate havin forwardly-divergent fingers at olie end and an intermediate finger, a front transverse plate of spring metal upon which the extremities of the fingers are received and having its ends bent upwardly and provided with rings, spikes engaged through the transverse plate and the overlying ends of the outer fingers, the firstnamed plate having a narrowed extension at the opposite end from the lingers, said extension being bent downwardly and then i'earwardly and then upwardly to form a heel-re ceiving portion and then returned beneath itself and the body portion of the plate and the intermediate Afinger and having a rivet passed through it and the intermediate finger and front transverse plate, a rear transverse plate of spring metal engaged between the members of the heel-receiving portion, a spike engaged through said members and the rear transverse plate and attaching means connected with the rings of the front transverse plate and the back of the heel-receiving portion.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

J. HENRY WAGNER. CLEMENTS J. HOFSTETTER. HENRY OSTENDORF. Vitnesses:

B. A. MIEHLS, HERMAN RAABE. 

